CONNECTIONS

First, the two familiar ones: Mika Zibanejad played parts of five seasons with the Senators (2011-16). Derick Brassard played parts of four seasons with the Rangers (2012-16).

Matt Puempel played parts of three seasons with Ottawa (2014-17) after being selected by the Senators in the first round (24th overall) of the 2011 Entry Draft.

Ottawa’s Viktor Stalberg played one season with the Rangers (2015-16).

Alain Vigneault’s first coaching staff position in the NHL was as an assistant coach with the Senators. He was a member of Ottawa’s staff for parts of four seasons (1992-96).

Ottawa’s Alexandre Burrows was coached by Vigneault for seven seasons with the Vancouver Canucks (2006-07-2012-13)

Senators general manager Pierre Dorion was an amateur scout with the Rangers for two seasons (2005-07).

IS IT OTTAWA OR KANATA?

Games 1 and 2, and 5 and 7, if necessary, will be played at Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata, a suburb about 15 miles west of downtown Ottawa, off Highway 417, known as the Queensway. That’s only a few miles farther than from Manhattan to Citi Field but can take 30-plus minutes by car.

It was the site of the 2007 Stanley Cup Final (won by the Anaheim Ducks in five games) and the last game Wayne Gretzky played in Canada on April 15, 1999. Gretzky played 23:09 and didn’t get a point. Adam Graves and Brian Leetch scored as the Rangers tied the Senators, 2-2

The multipurpose arena, which seats 18,694 for hockey, opened in January 1996 as The Palladium, and a month later when the naming rights were sold, became Corel Centre. It was renamed Scotiabank Place from 2006 to 2013.

In April 2014, a bid backed by the Senators was chosen for the redevelopment of LeBreton Flats, a mostly vacant downtown tract near the Ottawa River. The $3.5-billion proposal includes a new NHL arena, apartments, hotels, shops and other projects. Senators owner Eugene Melnyk said in March he hoped negotiations would conclude by the end of this year.

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUPS, GAME 1

RANGERS

FORWARDS

Chris Kreider-Mika Zibanejad-Pavel Buchnevich

Jimmy Vesey-Derek Stepan-Rick Nash

J.T. Miller-Kevin Hayes-Mats Zuccarello

Michael Grabner-Oscar Lindberg-Jesper Fast

DEFENSE

Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi

Marc Staal-Nick Holden

Brady Skjei-Brendan Smith

GOALIE

Henrik Lundqvist

SENATORS

FORWARDS

Ryan Dzingel-Kyle Turris-Alexandre Burrows

Viktor Stalberg-Derick Brassard- Bobby Ryan

Mark Stone-Zach Smith -Mike Hoffman

Clarke MacArthur-Jean-Gabriel Pageau-Tom Pyatt

DEFENSE

Marc Methot-Erik Karlsson

Dion Phaneuf-Cody Ceci

Ben Harpur-Chris Wideman/Fredrik Claesson

GOALIE

Craig Anderson

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